i have never left a comment before..but i would ask you to reconsider about wether this is something you want to have on this wonderful website….there are so many new people to yoga that are so interested in finding more out about yoga….it is hard not to see this as degrading to yoga classes, and to women..

hey michael,
appreciate your taking the time to comment. it is certainly pushing the boundaries, and sorry you are offended. but in the overall spectrum of today’s yoga culture we see this is as relevant as anything else.
the best comedy makes us take a look at ourselves, sometimes not in the most positive light. we can be offended or we can laugh at ourselves. it’s dumb and oversexualized but here we took that as the joke, much like an SNL skit, of which it is very reminiscent.
it may even, in its deviant way, get more people cough*men*cough interested in trying yoga. or a least have a lighthearted laugh. again, not all will agree.

It should be noted, though, that Julia Allison, a woman who was part of the video found it funny, too.

Good on you Yoga Dork for posting this video! Yes, it’s infantile and pushes the boundaries – but it’s simply a bit FUNNY! Why is it that the Yoga fraternity, that pride themselves on both flexibility of mind and body, find it so hard to ‘loosen up?’ Regarding comments that there’s ‘objectification of women,’ yes there is, but as a feminist (and ex dancer/Pilates Instructor that’s lived most of my life in studios) I see nothing wrong with this – in this humorous context. Come on, can anyone tell me that a male Yoga novice would not walk into a class full of nubile, barely clad women and not notice the overwhelming display of female ‘parts’ on display? Making light of what every man thinks but no-one says is simply honest, and yes, funny in my opinion!

I agree with Michael as well. It simply is not funny and I find it degrading to males and females. I must agree it is sometimes funny to see someone act like a complete idiot, but in this case it is not.

hey guys. i MADE this video and thought i’d say hello. first, thanks for posting! second, i agree- it’s childish. the idea came from a real experience of going to a great yoga class (i do practice and respect the art). i found myself the only male in a class full of beautiful women, and just imagined how surprising that would be for a crasser, less new-agey guy than myself. a guy like my rap character “jelly donut.” anyway, i’m sorry for offending some, but also delighted at bringing others a laugh. namaste!

You want to know what the sad part is? There are plenty of guys I’ve seen at my studio who show up precisely to check out the girls like these guys in the video. They never stick around for long or they eventually become instructors…

Oh come on! That’s funny! It’s just hyperbole of something that actually happens. I’ve seen these kind of guys at my studio. They don’t last (or if they do its an awesome shift to watch) and life moves on. And even the messaging isn’t terrible…. They get their asses kicked by Shiva in the end. Haha. I just like that they were practicing on cardboard. I’d like it for that alone. Too funny.

I have to agree with those of you who say it’s not funny. Though it’s not really about being funny or not. Artists should take personal responsibility for the impact their work has on communities. Does anyone benefit from an over-sexualization of the practice or a demoralization of the participants and teachers through objectification and violence?

Do no harm.
Is the community harmed by such work?
In my opinion, yes. Only bad can come of this.
Normalizing this sexual and violent behavior under the guise of “humor”, is way below our communities standards. There are plenty of places to find demeaning actions in this world and few places to find safe, supportive and healing spaces. Please don’t follow the herd of the masses and laugh when you really shouldn’t.

As a woman, a lover of yoga and a yoga teacher, I am deeply offended by this video. There is seriously a difference between a skit that is satirical and a skit that is insulting. Not only does this video promote the objectification of women, but also poorly represents yoga. “Inner penis”–really?!? I actually had a pit in my stomach while watching this. Yoga Dork, you are one of my all time favorite blogs and one that I refer others to frequently. Unfortunately, you lost my respect with this one.

As a woman, a yoga practitioner of 10 years, and, er, not a yoga teacher, I laughed so very, very hard. Gentlemen, you made a fantastic video. The reason bad shit goes down is that people won’t/don’t talk about the funniness and potential yuckiness that can ensue in some yoga classes. The yoga teachers I’ve learned the most from have always had a healthy, honest sense of humor.

If people get bogged down in the supposed misogyny, that means they missed the satire in the video, i.e. the entire point. These dudes are making fun (and damned good fun, at that) of idiots; these dudes are not being idiots. I fear that too many people get so offended that they neglect to watch to the end & fail to see the destruction sent by Shiva. And they take themselves too damn seriously.

As a “serious” yoga practitioner and a teacher, I also found this to be hilarious and spot-on. Calling this misogynistic is missing the point entirely. If anything, it’s the men that come out of this looking like fools after they get their butts kicked by Kali. In the end, they learn their lesson: yoga class is no place for boners, Shiva/Kali doesn’t mess around!
I love it. Am still laughing. Thanks for posting, YD.
PS: Despite the ridiculous short-tents, those two guys are HOT.